Engadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/tag/slingshot/rss.xml
https://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif?cachebust=trueEngadget RSS Feedhttps://www.engadget.com/tag/slingshot/rss.xml
en-usEngadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronicsCopyright 2018 AOL Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.https://www.engadget.com/2018/03/11/sophisticated-malware-attacks-through-routers/https://www.engadget.com/2018/03/11/sophisticated-malware-attacks-through-routers/https://www.engadget.com/2018/03/11/sophisticated-malware-attacks-through-routers/#comments

Security researchers at Kaspersky Lab have discovered what's likely to be another state-sponsored malware strain, and this one is more advanced than most. Nicknamed Slingshot, the code spies on PCs through a multi-layer attack that targets MikroTik routers. It first replaces a library file with a malicious version that downloads other malicious components, and then launches a clever two-pronged attack on the computers themselves. One, Canhadr, runs low-level kernel code that effectively gives the intruder free rein, including deep access to storage and memory; the other, GollumApp, focuses on the user level and includes code to coordinate efforts, manage the file system and keep the malware alive.

Facebook isn't throwing in the towel when it comes to experimentation, but it has shuttered the project that sought to encourage it. Three apps born from its Creative Labs have been pulled from their respective app stores and the website for the initiative itself is no more. Creative Labs began as a way to encourage experimentation among the social network's employees through hackathon-type sessions, and it led to the development of Slingshot, Rooms and Riff. Slingshot is perhaps the most recognizable of the three for its attempt to take on Snapchat in the realm of ephemeral messaging. Facebook says that since those apps launched, it has pulled features from each into its core Android and iOS app.

Notice anything new with Slingshot recently? Well, if you haven't used it in awhile, Facebook's ephemeral photo app has gotten an overhaul. The outfit says that refining isn't about what you add to something, but what you remove. In this update's case, that's seemingly quite a bit. Instead of the one-to-one photo-messaging tool it launched as, now Slingshot is a single-function app that's aping perhaps Snapchat's most social feature, Stories. Pictures and videos you share now go into a preview grid (above left) that gives a peek at all your friends' updates simultaneously -- instead of Stories' person-by-person list. Sending a photo or video clip is much more streamlined, too, with it only taking two taps to go from capture to upload. What hasn't changed is that your captures still only last 24 hours.Want to share your daily pics outside of Slingshot's user-base? You can export your content directly to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter now as well.

Update: In the previous version of Slingshot, media lasted for up to 30 days. With the latest update, your shots and reactions only last 24 hours or until someone swipes past them.

It's been a little over a month since Facebook unleashed Slingshot, its stab at an ephemeral competitor to Snapchat, so it seems about the right time for it to get its first update. Slingshot, if you'll recall, is a unique messaging app that requires you to reciprocate before you get to see what your friends have sent you. Once you see that photo or video, you have the option of sending a reaction shot, which takes up half the screen and is already unlocked so you don't need to send a reply to view it. With the latest update, you can now react to those reaction shots -- as seen in the third screen shot above -- again, without any unlocking necessary.

One of the most frustrating parts of trying to go legit with your movie watching is being restricted by Hollywood's windows and geofences that limit what's available to watch in your area. Of course, a network of third parties provide tools to help users go around and through the blocks, but now an ISP is taking the unusual step of getting directly involved. For the last year, New Zealand's Slingshot has offered a Global Mode VPN feature marketed for use by visitors from the US or UK. As a not-so-secret side effect it also let Kiwis pull in streams from the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and BBC iPlayer, but that wasn't mentioned -- until now. Slingshot General Manager Taryn Hamilton confirmed to the New Zealand Herald that "No beating around the bush. This is to watch Netflix," ending the ruse and opening it to all subscribers for free.

Facebook launched its not-so-subtle Snapchat competitor Slingshot last week, but only for the US audience. That period of exclusivity has turned out to be quite short-lived, however, as today the new way to socially network is available worldwide. So, to give it a go, all you need is an iOS or Android device, and some friends to "sling" stuff at. Images and videos shared through the app disappear after being viewed, just like Snapchat, but Slingshot is intended more for mass-broadcasting to groups of friends. It also demands you get involved, rather than just observe. If you want to see a picture sent by a friend, for example, you have to "unlock" it first by offering something in return. Slingshot is a standalone app, too, so even you Facebook-phobics can start slinging pictures of your 35 adorable felines by signing up with just a phone number.

After accidentally releasing it to the world last week, Facebook has now officially unveiled Slingshot, a curious new app to come out of the company's Creative Labs division. Widely rumored as a Snapchat competitor, Slingshot certainly has an ephemeral element -- all of the photos and videos you send using it are easily removed with a simple swipe. But while Snapchat is a messaging service for one-on-one conversations, Slingshot is more about sharing that moment with lots of people at once. In a sense, it's an impromptu social network that encourages spontaneous communications. But there's a catch -- if you want to see what your friends have shared with you on Slingshot, you'll have to reciprocate and "sling" something back. It's perhaps the only social app we've heard of that requires 100 percent active participation, and that's at the core of what makes Slingshot so very unique.

The rumors are true: Facebook has indeed been working on a Snapchat competitor called Slingshot, and true to its ephemeral nature, it showed up ever so briefly on the App Store today before it was taken down. Prior to that though, we managed to glean enough information from the app description to get a few hints as to how it works. Similar to Snapchat, you can send photos and videos to friends, and once they view them, those messages will disappear. You're even able to add captions and scribblings on them just like Snapchat. But the key differentiator between Slingshot and other ephemeral messaging apps is that before your friends can see your missives, they must reciprocate and "sling" something back. After receiving your message, they can either tap to react to it or swipe it to remove it for good.

Facebook could be gearing up to introduce a Snapchat-like video message tool later this month, according to a Financial Times report. The app, known to staffers as 'Slingshot,' would enable users to send short video messages, and it would likely not be integrated with the social site's other applications, such as Facebook Messenger. Based on the timing of Slingshot's potential release, it's possible that a team within the company began working on the app shortly after negotiations to acquire Snapchat for $3 billion failed late last year, leaving Facebook to build its own competitor from the ground up. Still, while the new app appears to be nearly ready for primetime, the launch apparently has yet to be approved -- it's possible that Slingshot may never see the light of day.

Slingshot, the latest offering from the makers of Reflector and Air Parrot, introduces a paradigm for business-class screen sharing that pushes meeting software to new levels. If you're familiar with live-meeting/webcast services (like join.me, for example) you'll have encountered server-ware that enables you to share your desktop out to groups for demonstrations and presentations. The current generation provides support for phone chats, text messages, and so forth.

Slingshot takes all that functionality and bumps it up. Like its competitors, this software is aimed at the business and education markets, offering both one-to-one and one-to-many sharing. It adds some really splendid features like iOS screen sharing, individual OS X app screens, and participant control. With Slingshot, you can demo your apps and present screens anywhere in the world.

When testing, the TUAW team was really pleased by the quality of transmission and the ability of any participant to share materials from their system. Slingshot allows users to share individual desktop apps, their entire desktop, or to screen share from iOS via AirPlay. Each participant may opt in to use a local camera feed and microphone as well. (The service plan you select sets limits on how many cameras may participate.)

Our tests made it clear, however, this was early release software. We encountered audio drop outs, software crashes, and some odd video glitches. Despite those, we were all really impressed by the feature set and overall design quality. While the service is still young, it shows great promise.

Slingshot works by subscription. After a 30-day full feature trial, its plans range from 1-to-1 connections for $10/month ($110/year) to an enterprise-worthy model at $100/month ($1000/year) for up to 25 users, 5 camera feeds, and phone support. Budget-minded users might want to stick with join.me's free single-screen sharing service and Squirrel's existing Reflector app, but companies and schools with more spending flexibility will find Slingshot to offer a good feature set. We recommend you decide for yourself with the free month trial.

Last year, e-commerce site TinyLightbulbs formed in Denver, focusing on products that are funded via crowdfunding sites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo. TinyLightbulbs brought five of the products available on its site Macworld/iWorld 2013, including:

Ultima: A smartphone stand for the car that is made with an aluminum body with a suction cup that is use to secure it to your car's interior. It raised more than $64,000 on Kickstarter.

CableKeeps: This was my favorite of the products offered at this booth. These fish-shaped rubber cable holders were funded in 2011. Insert an Apple iPhone or iPad charger in one end, then thread the 30-pin or Lightning cable through the tail and wrap it around the fins to keep the cable in one place. When it's in use, you can use the fins as a stand for your iOS device. The CableKeeps are offered in three styles: two for iPad adaptors and one for the smaller USB adaptor used with iPhones, iPods and the iPad mini.

SoundJaw: Steve Sande reviewed the SoundJaw in 2011. Originally developed for the iPad 2, this clip attaches to an iPad near the speaker and boosts the sound by directing the sound waves forward. It raised $17,000 on Kickstarter and is compatible with the iPad models that came out in 2012.

Soft Touch Flex: This iPad mounting system is available with a clamp or a mic thread to fit it to a microphone stand. It comes in white and black.

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Benjamin, who feels a little let down by the most recent changes to Evernote's image-sharing software. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

"Hi guys. I'm a graphic designer who, until recently, used a desktop app called Skitch to quickly share images with clients. I loved being able to just click and drag a portion of my desktop, click "share" and have it uploaded in a seconds. Of course, Evernote has screwed with it, so now it won't default to keeping my pictures private (not so good for the clients, or my reputation) and the new layout hides the sharing feature in a stupid drop-down menu. Frankly, a really useful piece of software has been ruined, so can you suggest a replacement?"

We feel your pain Benjamin, even if we did have to slice out your more colorful descriptions of Evernote from your e-mail. A site favorite has been ruined by the changes, and as such we're on the hunt for an alternative.

Jing, from TechSmith lets you share screenshots and even record video on your desktop.

Slingshot is a Mac exclusive that'll set you back $3, but uses the cloud service of your choice (Dropbox, Imgur etc)

Of course, this is the moment where we turn it over to our amazing commenters, who we hope will share the skinny. You never know, maybe some enterprising indie dev has already created the program to replace that hole in our lives -- friends, head down below, grab the candle and bang on.

A bit on the pricey side, at US$19.95 retail, the SlingShot lets you slide your phone in sideways and hold it with one hand, using the same muscle groups you'd use for gripping it in portrait position.

That's not a big deal for many iPhone owners, but it is for me because:

1. I shoot a lot of how-to video, where I have to manipulate equipment with one hand and shoot it with the phone in the other hand; and

2. The aforementioned wobbliness. When I try to hold the phone in landscape while doing all this, I can't capture a stable enough image.

Even typical, unimpaired users will benefit from the stability, but quite frankly you probably don't want to be carrying this thing around if you don't have to. Plus, most people can hold their phone landscape using one or two hands with successful results.

It worked beautifully in my testing, exactly as advertised, producing a much steadier landscape video than I could capture without the device. What's more, the gadget had a bunch of unexpected bonus features.

First, the handle is very adjustable. You can shoot with either hand, and the device accommodates your needs. That's important because you need to put your phone in with the camera towards the top, and placed so the holders don't interfere with its visual field.

Second, there's a built-in tripod that pops out of and into the handle. If you don't mind your camera being about 3-inches above the ground, the SlingShot will stabilize it for you without any need to hold it.

Finally, if you unscrew the handle there's a final treat. The holder uses tripod threading, so you can connect it to any standard tripod.

I found the holder itself to be steady, gripping my phone even when shaken -- I did not, obviously, whip the thing around. (I'm under a two-year contract with AT&T and would rather not have to buy another iPhone full price.) The material is quite light and I do worry about the possibility of it cracking under normal use.

Had the unit cost about $6.95 or so, I'd say it would be a no-brainer. Just buy it. At nearly $20, this is more a buy recommendation for anyone who needs extra stabilization.

I cannot recommend it, off-label, as an assistive device for anyone with shaking and palsy. The holder covers too much of the screen and home button for that kind of use.

If you can benefit from the image stabilization for landscape photography, the SlingShot will help do the job for you. It's a neat little device that offers more than it first appears to and I enjoyed playing with it a lot.

Yeah. We know. There are pretty much as many ways to play Angry Birds, as there are people who play it. That's a lot. However, the Super Angry Birds controller you see above speaks to us. Why? Because it's not just a sling shot, or a fudged use of existing technology. That wooden "sling" hides one of those motorized faders you see in big music studio desks. Using some coding magic (i.e. a force curve stored in a table), the creators were able to give it a realistic resistance feeling, sans elastic. The rest of the hardware is programmed in Max / MSP and Arduino, with a "Music and Motors" microcontroller. It's not just the sling part, either, with angle and special power triggering available from the same device. A pretty neat solution, we think. Now, we wonder if we could scale this thing up?

Angry Birds Space is officially available for Android, iOS, PC and Mac today, and to celebrate, Rovio and T-Mobile constructed a 300-foot slingshot, complete with Angry Bird, mounted on the Seattle Space Needle. Today, starting at 10 a.m. PST, Rovio is hosting an Angry Birds Space launch party -- with Angry Birds cupcakes! -- at the Space Needle.

Rovio calls the slingshot an "art installation," but we see what's really going on here: interstellar travel and a public, press-heavy reveal of a monstrous weapon -- it's the space race all over again. This time, it's angry.
]]>
androidangry-birdsangry-birds-spaceiosipadiphonemacmobilepcrovioseattleslingshotspace-needlespace-raceThu, 22 Mar 2012 14:20:00 -040011|20198987https://www.engadget.com/2012/02/29/make-angry-birds-awesome-again-with-diy-slingshot-controller/https://www.engadget.com/2012/02/29/make-angry-birds-awesome-again-with-diy-slingshot-controller/https://www.engadget.com/2012/02/29/make-angry-birds-awesome-again-with-diy-slingshot-controller/#comments

Look, we're as tired of Angry Birds as you are -- the phenomena has certainly run its course. But, if we had Simon Ford's home-made slingshot controller, we might still be addicted to hurling the pissed-off poultry through the air. The DIY peripheral is built around an mbed microcontroller, three-axis accelerometer and a stretch sensor. Pinching and pulling the band initiates a click and drag, while the position of the slingshot itself determines the angle of launch. It's not the easiest gaming controller hack we've ever seen but, if you can follow directions, you could build your own courtesy of the instructions at the source link. If you're a little too intimidated to try it yourself, check out the video after the break to see it in action.
]]>
altangry birdsangrybirdscontrollercortex m0cortexm0diydo it yourselfdoityourselfgaming controllergamingcontrollermbedroviosimon fordsimonfordslingshotslingshot controllerslingshotcontrollerusb slingshot controllerusbslingshotcontrollerWed, 29 Feb 2012 12:23:00 -050021|20182531https://www.engadget.com/2012/02/27/angry-birds-space-to-launch-on-samsungs-galaxy-note-video/https://www.engadget.com/2012/02/27/angry-birds-space-to-launch-on-samsungs-galaxy-note-video/https://www.engadget.com/2012/02/27/angry-birds-space-to-launch-on-samsungs-galaxy-note-video/#comments

Rovio described the upcoming Angry Birds Space as its biggest launch since the original game, but has been coy about platform details until now, as Samsung has revealed it's launching on the Galaxy Note. We're not sure how the phablet's 5-inch (or possible 10.1-inch) display comes into play, but the extra area can't hurt. Other than the "Houston... we have a slingshot" tagline there's not many other details revealed, but if you're (still) obsessed with taking down those pigs once and for all then press play on the teaser video above.
]]>
angry birdsangry birds spaceangrybirdsangrybirdsspacegalaxy notegalaxynotegamingmarch 22march22mobilemobile world congress 2012mobilepostminimobileworldcongress2012mwc 2012mwc2012roviosamsungslingshotvideoMon, 27 Feb 2012 01:52:00 -050021|20180136https://www.engadget.com/2011/09/09/auckland-amps-up-free-wifi-for-rugby-world-cup/https://www.engadget.com/2011/09/09/auckland-amps-up-free-wifi-for-rugby-world-cup/https://www.engadget.com/2011/09/09/auckland-amps-up-free-wifi-for-rugby-world-cup/#comments

Just in time for play-by-play tweets about the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, Auckand has instituted a fully-integrated WiFi network across its Link public transit system. According to officials, buses and some trains will get the free internet treatment, giving passengers up to three 30 minute sessions a day between September 1 and October 31st. Powered by Tomizone and sponsored by Localist, the network promises 2 - 6Mbps downloads and is based on point-to-point links around town using fiber assets for backhaul. If that wasn't enough connectivity, CallPlus and Slingshot are dishing out some gratis WiFi of their own with an additional thousand hotspots sprinkled throughout the city. Hopefully, the added infrastructure will mean WiFi access par excellence year round for maximum non-Rugby related tweetage. Check out the full PR after the break.

[Thanks, Scott]
]]>
3g4gaucklandbackhaulbuscallplusfree wififree wifi accessfreewififreewifiaccesslinklocalistnetworknew zealandnewzealandpublic transportationpublictransportationrugby world cup 2011rugbyworldcup2011slingshottomizonetrainwifiFri, 09 Sep 2011 01:14:00 -040021|20037844https://www.engadget.com/2011/08/08/smugglers-use-zip-line-and-slingshot-to-sneak-ipads-into-hong-ko/https://www.engadget.com/2011/08/08/smugglers-use-zip-line-and-slingshot-to-sneak-ipads-into-hong-ko/https://www.engadget.com/2011/08/08/smugglers-use-zip-line-and-slingshot-to-sneak-ipads-into-hong-ko/#commentsChinese smugglers turned to a rather low-tech method for getting a pile of decidedly high-tech iPads and iPhones across the border to Shenzhen, in a scheme to make money off of regional tax differences. The unsanctioned exporters fired a slingshot from a high-rise in Shenzen, dragging a zip line down to a small house just across the Sha Tau Kok river in Hong Kong. They then sent canvas bags loaded with the gadgets flying through the night sky along the projectile-placed cable -- at least until authorities spotted the gear hurtling through the air, that is. Police recovered about $46,000 worth of Apple products (and four culprits) when they discovered the end of the 300-meter line. Check out the video below for a little Chinese-language news coverage of the story and a glimpse at the simple, but ingenious, smuggling rig.
]]>
applechinahong konghongkongipadipad 2ipad2iphoneiphone 4iphone4shenzenslingshotsmugglersmugglerssmugglingvideozip lineziplineMon, 08 Aug 2011 10:33:00 -040021|20011927https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/21/captains-log-the-reverse-slingshot-effect/https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/21/captains-log-the-reverse-slingshot-effect/https://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/21/captains-log-the-reverse-slingshot-effect/#comments

Captain's Log, Stardate 65056.3...

Hello, computer (and players)! The slingshot effect is a maneuver, shown throughout the Star Trek franchise, which allowed starships to move back through the time continuum. By traveling at a high warp factor towards a star with a large gravitational pull, the ship would whip around it and time travel. While this seemed to only exist within the realms of the IP, it looks as though Star Trek Online's Executive Producer Dan Stahl took us on a reverse slingshot course, giving us a glimpse into the future of the game. Before we returned to the original timeline, he made sure to write up everything we saw along the way for those who couldn't make the trip.

In layman's terms, for those of you who missed the news earlier this week, July's Engineering Report has been released. While this is a monthly publication that contains the development pipeline for STO, including some items that have been featured in past issues, there are always a few bullet points added that seem to spark a healthy amount of debate -- one of these includes the ability to auction off your in-game Emblems, a form of currency, for C-Store points that have been paid for with real money. For information on this, including a response from Cryptic's PR department, and more, read ahead past the jump for this week's Captain's Log entry.

Segway inventor Dean Kamen just stole the show at TEDMED 2010, with both a far-reaching lecture on how technology can save the developing world, and a peek at his latest projects. We'll spare you the wave of guilt for now and get right to the cool stuff, like the latest rendition of his Luke prosthetic arm and Slingshot water machine. Dean admitted he's having difficulty finding companies interested in manufacturing the former, but it's looking snazzier than when it last grabbed Stephen Colbert, with components like this shoulder piece printed out of titanium in a custom 3D printer, and it's slated to look like this. The Slingshot's seeing even more action, as Dean and company have pulled it out of the ugly box into these sveltetubes, and finally has a distribution deal (with Coca-Cola, of all companies) to bring the clean-water-from-any-source machines to developing countries in trials early next year.

Last but not least, the man's got a product you might be able to afford for your home. In the quest for an item for his FIRST young engineers to sell -- a la Girl Scout cookies -- he tapped LED manufacturer Cree to produce an 450 lumen light bulb that draws just 7 watts and will retail for about $25 door-to-door. In case you're wondering, that's cheaper and more efficient than most any lamp we've seen before. Dean says they've already produced several hundred thousand of the bulbs thanks to a surprise $3 million investment from Google, and plan to have them in the hands of every FIRST kid soon. Keep on fighting the good fight, Dean. %Gallery-106215%
]]>
3d printer3dprinterartificial armartificialarmbionicbionic armbionicarmbionicscreedean kamendeankamenfirstledled light bulbledlightbulblightlight bulblightbulblukeprostheticprostheticsslingshottedmedtedmed 2010tedmed2010waterwater machinewatermachineThu, 28 Oct 2010 20:32:00 -040021|19694262https://www.engadget.com/2008/04/23/dean-kamen-aims-to-clean-water-generate-electricity-with-slings/https://www.engadget.com/2008/04/23/dean-kamen-aims-to-clean-water-generate-electricity-with-slings/https://www.engadget.com/2008/04/23/dean-kamen-aims-to-clean-water-generate-electricity-with-slings/#comments

This one has been making the rounds for a little while now (including a recent appearance on The Colbert Report, viewable after the break), but it hasn't received anything near Segway-like coverage, which is all the more curious given that it's potentially a far more important device. Dubbed the Slingshot, Dean Kamen's latest creation promises to do nothing short of producing clean water from virtually any liquid source (without filters) and generate enough electricity to power about 70 energy efficient light bulbs. What's more, Kamen estimates that the machines would cost between $1,000 and $2,000 which, given the number of people a single one is likely to help, is certainly quite the bargain.

]]>
dean kamendeankamenkamenmiscslingshotwaterwater purifierwaterpurifierWed, 23 Apr 2008 18:02:00 -040021|1175800https://www.tuaw.com/2007/09/04/picnic-file-synchronizer-released/https://www.tuaw.com/2007/09/04/picnic-file-synchronizer-released/https://www.tuaw.com/2007/09/04/picnic-file-synchronizer-released/#commentsWe last mentioned Picnic when the beta was released in June; now Objectpark software is shipping version 1. Picnic is a utility designed to allow you to synchronize folders you specify between two Macs on the same local network. By using Bonjour it requires little or no setup.

Unfortunately, I see two major downsides to Picnic. First, it seems rather expensive. Each machine/user requires a license which are $29.95 each (though there are discounts when ordering multiple licenses, e.g. $55 for two). Compare this to the similar Martian Slingshot at $29.99 for use on all your personal computers. Second, it only works over a local network and not the Internet (though I suspect you could hack it together with Hamachi or another VPN solution).

[via MacNN]
]]>
bonjourpicnicslingshotsoftwaresyncingTue, 04 Sep 2007 19:00:00 -040016|980761https://www.tuaw.com/2007/06/21/picnic-offers-bonjour-shared-folders/https://www.tuaw.com/2007/06/21/picnic-offers-bonjour-shared-folders/https://www.tuaw.com/2007/06/21/picnic-offers-bonjour-shared-folders/#commentsPicnic appears to be an interesting tool for small Mac networks where users need to share files. It allows you to "create shared folders of files which are automatically synced between all user's accounts using Bonjour." This could really make it easier for small businesses or workgroups to share files between users (such as was requested by Stephen in a comment to the Ask TUAW post from last week). Since the files are synchronized across multiple computers it essentially gives you a kind of live backup. Mobile users retain a copy of the files when they disconnect from the network and changes are synced back when they reconnect (conflicts are apparently marked). In a lot of ways Picnic looks like the two Mac syncing tool Martian SlingShot, but with support for multiple Macs.

Picnic is now in beta and available for download from Objectpark software.